What the houses are like

Buckingham rebuilt much of its centre after the fire of 1725, which is why the core is so consistently Georgian. Red brick, sash windows, plain tile and slate roofs, with limestone appearing on the older and grander buildings. Modern estate housing spreads out to the north and east.

Planning authority: Buckinghamshire Council

Kitchen area during renovation with new ceiling and plaster complete

A different council again

Buckingham falls under Buckinghamshire Council, a separate authority to Milton Keynes City Council even though the two towns are twenty minutes apart. Different local plan, different conservation area boundaries and a different building control service. We will point you at the right one.

Georgian frontages

The general rule of thumb on a Georgian house is that the front elevation attracts the most attention and the rear is usually more flexible. Sash proportions, the vertical emphasis of the openings, the eaves or parapet line and the roof covering are the details most often raised. Rear extensions in a matched brick with a subordinate roof form tend to be the more straightforward proposition, though each application is decided on its own merits.

These houses also deserve some respect structurally. Lime mortar, timber lintels, and floors that have found their own level over three hundred years. It is rarely safe to assume anything is where a modern drawing would put it.